There is no perfect way of enjoying the holidays than listening to a piece of soulful Jazz music, and Desarae Dee has the perfect gift for her listeners which she prefers to call It Holiday Soul.
Desarae Dee is an Instrumental Fusion Artist, Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer, Content Creator and Educator from Toronto, Canada who has dedicated more than 8 years of her life to music, her experience is evident in each song she produces.
Holiday Soul is a perfect title to the music as it leaves a print on your sould after listening, it is therapeutic and leaves you calm and refreshed. Holiday Soul, is a seamless combination of Jazz, R&B, and Neo-soul elements, will make you long for mistletoe and Yuletide log fireplaces since it is ageless, serene, and expressive.
I want to encourage others to be their authentic self and to “bet on themselves.” Great things happen when you stay true to who you are as a person and not letting others try to mold you into who they think you should be.
This is a message multitalented artiste Desarae shared with her fans during an interview with Mister Styx of Musicarenagh
Get the full story below while you enjoy Holiday Soul
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What is your stage name
Desarae Dee
Is there a story behind your stage name?
My first and middle name start with a D, so I decided to keep my first name and then the first initial of my middle name and add 2 “e’s”
Where do you find inspiration?
A lot of my inspiration comes from my musical influences (Alicia Keys, Oscar Peterson, Chopin and Robert Glasper), my passion and drive for music is also where I draw my inspiration from.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
I started playing the piano at the age of 6, but music was always part of my childhood from the age of 3, singing in the church choir.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
My dad is a guitar and bass player as well as a singer who was part of a group with a bunch of his friends from church and they went to different churches to perform. My uncle is also a guitar and bass player. I also have cousins on my dads side who are also singers, musicians and DJs.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
No one specifically inspired me to be part of the music industry, but I had a desire to see a better representation of black women in the industry and see more black women musicians rise to the occasion, especially in Canada as I never really say any of that growing up.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
As stated earlier, I took piano lessons from the age of 6 and continue music at the university level, obtaining my music degree. I wrote my first song at 15 years old and one of the reason why I studied music in university was to figure out what I was playing – I had been playing complex chords when I was in high school but never learned the theory behind it while I was there.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
The first concert I ever went to was to see Kirk Franklin back in the late 90s when he first came to Toronto.
How could you describe your music?
My music is a fusion of multiple genres such as Jazz, Neo-Soul, RnB, Gospel, Classical, Electronic, Lo-Fi. I don’t conform to just one genre, as I prefer to be a musical chameleon; taking on one or genres at at given time.
Describe your creative process.
A majority of my music is created based on my mood and more recently, based on my life experiences. I create instrumental music that serves as a music canvas to my life story.
What musician do you admire most and why?
I admire Alicia Keys the most – she was one of my biggest inspirations when I got started in music creation. Her example and musical background showed me that it’s possible to be successful in the music industry as an instrumentalist.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
My sound and style definitely have evolved over the last 8 years. At the beginning of my career, a lot of my stuff was jazz and gospel based, but as time went along and I started utilizing all of my skill sets, my sound grew to a more fusion of genres and create musical canvases and musical scapes.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
I don’t compete with anyone. My goal is to inspire lives one music note at a time and to be the representation I never saw growing up as a Black Woman Instrumental Artist.
What are your interests outside of music?
Outside of music, I love sports, fitness and travelling.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
If I wasn’t doing music, I’d probably end being a basketball player/coach or a lawyer.
What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
The biggest issue that I faced was getting my music played on radio. As an instrumentalists, a lot of radio station don’t play instrumental music, so I faced a lot of rejection in the early stages of my career.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
If I could change one thing in the industry, it would be making the recognition that women receive in the industry a lot better.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
I chose “Holiday Soul” as the name of my single because i wanted to bring out the calmness, relaxed and chill nature of the holidays that we often overlook and bring that to the focus. Getting back to the “soul” of the holidays and not the “busyness” of it.
What are your plans for the coming months?
In the coming months, I have plans to release more music and to do some travelling and performing my own music more.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans
At the moment, I don’t have any collaborations planned.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Jqo0uQOUGNagiBgsY4Dsv?si=AbxE9Qg_R-a11JtXDB22tA
What message would you like to give to your fans?
I want to encourage others to be their authentic self and to “bet on themselves.” Great things happen when you stay true to who you are as a person and not letting others try to mold you into who they think you should be. Also, be confident in your abilities and take a chance on yourself – you never know how far you’ll go!
